So I'm re-reading Red Storm Rising, the book that got me into Harpoon. I'll be posting some thoughts here.

 

First one - am I right in thinking that people were initially wary of Mikhail Gorbachev when he become General Secretary of the CPSU? The GenSec in this novel is described as a former agriculture minister, which is what Gorby was.

I think my perception on this time was Gorby was a true reformer.

I dont remember fear feelings on the media.

First one - am I right in thinking that people were initially wary of Mikhail Gorbachev when he become General Secretary of the CPSU? The GenSec in this novel is described as a former agriculture minister, which is what Gorby was.

 

It was 1985. Given the political climate of the era, it would be naive to think the West (read: US/NATO) wasn't wary of the new General Secretary. Just look at those who came before him and the Western perspective of them.

First one - am I right in thinking that people were initially wary of Mikhail Gorbachev when he become General Secretary of the CPSU? The GenSec in this novel is described as a former agriculture minister, which is what Gorby was.

 

It was 1985. Given the political climate of the era, it would be naive to think the West (read: US/NATO) wasn't wary of the new General Secretary. Just look at those who came before him and the Western perspective of them.

 

Of course - one guy who spent most of his time ill, a former KGB chairman and Mr. Four Times Hero of the Soviet Union (he later lost the fourth one, IIRC, making Zhukov the only four time holder).

I see that Mr. Clancy and Mr. Bond had to make a few changes to US strategy for this book. Of course, no war plan survives first contact with the enemy and few survive first contact with the politicians.

 

While the F-19 is of course fictional, I can see why the US developed the F-117 as it could do a lot of the stuff those aircraft do in the book.